No Easy Way
by starlightxtears
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a young woman who discovered she had turned into the wrong person. Then she meets someone from her past who makes her believe she has a chance at starting a new life. Will she take it? All human.
1. Bittersweet Memories

**A/N: **This is my first Twilight fanfic, a plot I've been toying around with since forever. My passion is writing and I have been doing so since forever, but I would appreciate constructive criticism if you don't mind giving some.

In the story, Renee didn't leave Charlie and never met Phil, but they did move to Riverside, CA then to Phoenix, AZ.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Twilight and I would _so_ appreciate it if you don't go and sue me.

* * *

**BPOV**

What could you do when your existence seemed to be inundated with pain and suffering? When the one candle that lit your path was taken away, leaving you stumbling in the heavy darkness pressing upon you? When it seemed that you are all alone in facing the horrifying reality life is intent on slapping upon you face?

I'd never really had the best life ever lived. To tell the truth, I've never even felt as if I'd lived a life at all. I had no family, as my parents died in a car crash that fateful night—the night which doomed me to this funereal existence. Since then I'd been passed from foster home to foster home like some detestable creature.

It wasn't until I met him that my life started to acquire a sense of purpose again.

I was only eight years old at that time. Young though I seemed to be, the two years I spent in misery had shaped me to become stronger and wiser to the ways of the world, and I felt older than most kids my age. I stepped on the porch of Mrs. Newton's foster home and laid my eyes on him for the first time.

* * *

_**October 1995**_

_It was one of those days. The authorities who supervised foster children brought me to the Newton house. I cautiously stepped in and glanced behind me. The woman who came with me nodded and turned back to the van._

_I turned back to my new foster family. Mrs. Newton was a short, strict woman. Four boys stood behind her, a blonde one who was eyeing me, two dark-haired boys who didn't look too comforting either, and another boy who stood farthest back._

_I was transfixed._

_He had messy bronze hair and intelligent green eyes and he was staring at me curiously, as though trying to see through my blank expression. Not only that, he was beautiful, an angel sent by God to live among us mortals on earth._

"_You'll be Bella Swan, then? The orphan?" my new foster mother's sharp voice snapped through my thoughts._

_I nodded nervously. Then she beckoned me to come follow her up a rickety staircase and through a dark hallway._

"_This will be your room." _

_I peered in and found a small, gloomy room which was almost bare, save for the bed and an old bedside table. There was a small window opposite the door covered by ratty curtains which didn't quite meet across, letting a chink of sunlight enter the dank room._

"_Um…" I didn't know what to say. Thank you?_

"_You will, of course, go to a school near here. But I must warn you, I do not tolerate laziness. When you are at home, you will have chores to do. You are not allowed to leave the house or do anything I would surely disapprove of." Mrs. Newton rattled on while I pondered about my new situation. At last, she said, "Any questions?"_

"_Um…" I began again, even more nervous this time. "Where will I go to school? And who will buy my things?"_

_Mrs. Newton faced me. "You will join the boys in walking to Forks Elementary School. The state authorities have already arranged to have your supplies paid. You will start school on Monday. All clear?"_

_I nodded, too anxious about starting a new school at a new place to speak. Mrs. Newton exited the room and left me to dump my bag on the floor and flop on my bed facedown. The bed had a hard mattress and the lone pillow was lumpy, but I didn't care. This was just another stay at yet another foster house. I was used to this, being uprooted from one house to be replanted at another. I can handle this._

_Yet the tears came. They always did once I was alone._

_But I was too busy crying to notice I was not alone. A loud creak came outside the doorway and I sat upright, startled._

"_I'm sorry." It was the bronze-haired angel I saw earlier. He had such a pleasant voice to listen to and I found myself wishing he would speak again._

_I sniffled, drying up my tears. "It's all right."_

_He stepped inside the room tentatively. "Are _you_ all right?" Was I imagining things or did he actually sound concerned? I wasn't used to anyone being worried about me at all, except my parents. But they were gone now…_

_My shoulders slumped and I looked down on the dirty hardwood floor. "I will be."_

"_My name is Edward." The boy said, an apologetic note in his velvet voice. "You're Bella, right?"_

_I nodded, the lump in my throat making it hard to say anything._

"_Would you like to be friends?"_

_That one made my head jerk upward. I was plain old Bella and invisibility was one of my skills. The kids in my old neighborhood in Phoenix didn't pay any attention to me. No one had ever wanted to be my friend, and it constantly worried my mom when I would spend summers reading in my room instead of playing with other children my age._

"_Really? You want to be my friend?" I asked in a hushed voice._

_He looked confused. "Of course. If you want me to, that is."_

_I couldn't stop the smile growing on my face. "That would be great."_

_He smiled back, stunning me, and came closer. He held out his hand and said, "Friends?"_

_I stared at it for a second before taking it. "Friends."_

_I had one of the best night's sleep in a long time that night._

* * *

_**June 13, 1998**_

_I had spent two years in the Newton household by now. It wasn't too hard to blend in the students in Forks Elementary. I might as well have been a wall. I also had Edward as my friend—actually my best friend—and he always helped me with my schoolwork. No, the problem was Mike Newton, my foster mother's real son, and his gang, Eric Yorkie and Tyler Crowley—also two of my foster brothers. They never let another day pass without taunting me, which provoked Edward into protecting me._

"_Hey, Swan," Mike yelled across the school courtyard, with his friends around him all wearing identical smirks. I felt Edward stiffen up beside me. I brushed my hand lightly on his arm to remind him to keep his calm, as he always went home with bruises whenever he fought against Mike and his cronies._

_Instead, I pulled Edward around to face the other direction and marched off, which infuriated Mike further. Before I knew it, he'd grabbed my arm and roughly pulled me around._

_Edward launched himself at Mike, ignoring my futile attempt to hold him back. Snarling with rage, he reached out and hit Mike with all his force. Mike stumbled back, while his friends growled at Edward. He glared back at them. Another fight would've broken out if it wasn't for the principal arriving at the scene that very moment._

"_What is going on boys?" He cut in, loud enough for all the students in the vicinity to hear._

_Edward and Mike began explaining at the same time._

"_He grabbed Bella—"_

"_I wasn't doing anythi—"_

_The principal eyed them both and calmly said, "In my office. Now. The rest of you, your classes are about to start in a few minutes."_

_I looked anxiously at Edward. "I'll come."_

"_No." He protested firmly, placing a hand on my shoulder. I shook it off and continued following them._

"_But it's my fault. If you just left it alone—"_

"_Bella, it's not your fault. Just get to class."_

"_Edward," I whined. "Just let me come. I can decide for myself."_

_Edward frowned. "Bella—"_

"_No, I am going." I put my hands on my hips. Even he can't resist under my indomitable will. I think. Whatever, I'll be the one to explain this. He had to stop treating me like a fragile glass figurine. I survived without his help before and I still will. No questions asked._

_He sighed and I hid my grin. I knew when I had him. Just then, a thought came to me._

"_Oh, and Edward?"_

_He lifted his eyes to look at me sideways. "Yeah?"_

_I smiled. "Thanks."_

* * *

_**June 20, 1998**_

_It was Edward's birthday today. The rest of our foster family didn't even acknowledge our birthdays, but we were fine with that. During his two previous birthdays, we spent the day in school and the rest of the time doing chores, though we were always together. I always felt bad about not giving him anything, but I didn't have any money to my name. All the same, he seemed to enjoy it, especially when we would sneak out to the river behind the house._

_It was a Saturday today, though. We had tons of chores to finish but sharing the work with Edward seemed to make it lighter and easier. At last, we finished and had been given permission to go up to our rooms._

"_Hey, Edward," I called him as he was passing by my open door. He paused and peeked in my bedroom._

"_Yeah, Bella?" He asked, coming in to sit beside me on my bed._

"_Um, I have something to give to you?" It came out as a question. I was apprehensive. What if he didn't like it?_

_He couldn't help smiling. "You didn't have to. Just spending the day with you makes my birthday a lot more special."_

_I blushed. I seemed to do that a lot whenever he said something like that. "Well, it's your birthday, so deal with it. Besides, you gave me something for mine." I held out a gold watch. It was from Charlie, my father, and he'd given it to me before he…well, the point is, he gave it to me. Now I was entrusting it to my best friend._

"_B-Bella…" Edward stared at the watch on my hand. "Where did you get that?"_

_I rolled my eyes. "Well, I cut classes yesterday and broke through that jewelry store near the school. Don't worry; the police won't come after you—if you keep it a secret." I said, sarcasm dripping from every word._

_Edward sighed. "I can't accept."_

"_Sheesh, Eddie, I was joking. It's my dad's watch, he gave it to me."_

"_Don't call me that. And it's exactly why I can't accept. It's a memory you have of your dad, I can't take it away."_

_Hmph. If only this boy wasn't so hardheaded, I would've had an easier time giving him the freaking watch. "Edward, it's my birthday present to you. Won't you accept it?" I tilted my head and looked up at him through my lashes, pouting. Hah, that always got to him._

_Edward sighed again. I swear, he was more dramatic than a girl sometimes._

"_Fine, if you insist." He held out his hand and I happily dropped the watch in it. He held it closer, examining it. "Thanks, Bella." He finally said, smiling sheepishly._

"_You're welcome. And happy birthday, Eddie." I threw my arms around him. He stiffened for a moment before relaxing and returning the hug, too. I could feel his quiet chuckles vibrating in his chest._

"_Thank you, _Izzie_."_

* * *

_**November 1999**_

_I didn't know how it all happened._

_Edward was called from our Math class to the principal's office. He'd never been in any trouble, though, unless you count the fights he had with Mike, Eric and Tyler, which was usually on account of Mike taunting me._

_Then it was dismissal and I'd stood on our usual spot on the courtyard, waiting for him._

_I had been standing for about an hour, impatiently checking my watch. The place was almost deserted and it was growing dark._

_At last, I headed home, angry at him for keeping me waiting. He was really going to catch it when I arrived._

_But when I entered the house, it was only Mrs. Newton waiting for me._

"_You're late. Where were you?" she barked._

"_I was…waiting for Edward. Where is he?" I asked, suddenly uneasy._

_Mrs. Newton frowned. "The state authorities for foster children have located his birth parents. They arrived this morning and took him away. Thank God, the five of you have been quite a burden to feed."_

_I suddenly felt a tightening in my chest. "He's…gone?" I squeaked._

_Mrs. Newton tutted impatiently. "Yes, that's what I said, isn't it? Dr. and Mrs. Cullen have left with him for Chicago. Now, you still have chores. Get going."_

_Numbly, I headed to my room, every step I took punctuating my thought. Gone. Gone, gone, gone. He'd left me in this dark existence. I should've known that he was too good to be true. He was like all dreams I had, drifting away into the wind, doubling the pain I felt. I was all alone._

_When I reached my room, I stumbled to my bed and tried to keep the tears at bay. I felt the old hole in my chest open up, as though had Edward filled that hole and, now that he was gone, it was ripping open again, much more painfully this time. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying not to crumble down, but the hurt was too much._

_Finally, the tears flowed and sobs racked my body. I've never felt this alone, even when my parents died. Now that I've felt once again the happiness of being accepted by someone, losing it was harder. Now that I was alone once again, I felt that emptiness settle into my life—an emptiness that used to be filled by my parents and Edward. Now that they were both taken away from me, I was nothing. A total zero._

* * *

**BPOV**

Five years had passed since that happened and I still couldn't get over the pain I'd suffered.

As my body lay on the bed, sore after being beaten my Mike, now my boyfriend, I still relived the emotional and physical ache I experienced of losing people so close to my heart.

I didn't know how I survived these last five years. Or how I ended up like this—with an abusive boyfriend. And I was still passively enduring it all. I guess I lost my will to fight for myself since I lost the only people who cared about me. It didn't matter. I had no one to live for anyway. No one cared about me or my damned life. And I couldn't care less about what happened to my life next.

* * *

**A/N:** You might hate me or you might…hate me. I didn't like putting Bella through this, too, I swear. I just felt it was necessary or the story might not have the same impact at all.

Now, how about that constructive criticism? Please review!

J.


	2. Reluctant Admittance

**A/N:** OMG, who have seen the Twilight movie already? If so, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. It won't hit theaters until November 26 here (in the Philippines)!!! Gah, this is so unfair. Oh, and hey, when November 29 comes, I'll have seen it (my friends and I are planning to go on a Saturday instead of a Wednesday) and those who have seen Twilight too could PM me and we could talk about the highs and lows of the movie by then.

I'm really sorry for the long wait, but our laptop acquired viruses and when we had it fixed, all my files were deleted, therefore making it necessary for me to retype it. We have cheerleading competitions this week, too, so I have absolutely no time for just sitting down and writing a story.

Thanks to **ScreamBrianna**, **xmegaminoaix**, **jeweledwings** and **xxxmaiko-chanxxx** for the feedback!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight. Yet. Be very afraid.

* * *

**EPOV**

I sat on my bed, staring into space.

I was in my bright, comfortable room in our bright, comfortable house. Ever since I left Forks for Chicago, I had lived with my parents, Carlisle and Esme, my siblings, Emmett and Alice, and my adopted siblings, Jasper and Rosalie. I learned that they were children of my dad's close friends who died in a mountaineering accident a few years back. Ever since then, I had to get used to a full and noisy household, as opposed to the foster house where I was often ignored, just content with Bella's company.

It would be my last few moments in this room; this morning, we would be leaving for the airport to catch our flight to Forks. Our family decided to move to the place where I spent my childhood in, because Esme, who was an interior designer, and Carlisle, who was a doctor, had both found good jobs in the place.

It had been five years since I last saw Bella. Five years since I had basked in the beauty of her voice. Five long years since her light and warmth permeated my life. And I still couldn't get her out of my mind.

In the span of those years, I wondered if Bella was still even in Forks anymore. Was she still living with the Newtons or had she finally moved on? Was she still the same stubborn, independent Bella I had known before? Having lived through life without parents had shaped Bella into becoming fairly stubborn, although her warmth and light still shone through the wall she had built to protect herself. She had quite a personality, that one.

That was exactly the quality that had drawn me to her. She held me up all those years when I thought I lost my parents. She helped me live through life, and gave me a reason to still wake up every morning.

Guilt stabbed my heart as I recalled my abrupt departure that day. I had wanted to say a proper good-bye to her then, even though I didn't want to leave her. I hoped she read my letter and didn't resent me for deserting her. Nobody in my family even knew about her, my best friend. I knew I had to tell them, though, if ever they met her in Forks.

Just then, Emmett's easily audible footsteps came through my door, followed by heavy rapping. I shook my head. That guy didn't know the meaning of normal volume.

"Yo, Eddie! Open up!" He boomed out. I instantly felt another pang at hearing that nickname. Bella was the only one who ever dared use it without risking my annoyance. Before I could get into another funk, I hurried over to the door, which was being beaten up by my brother, and yanked it open. Emmett, thankfully, stopped mid-knock and narrowly missed hitting my face.

"What is it?" I asked exasperatedly. I noticed Jasper beside him, wearing an expression uncannily similar to Emmett's frantic one.

"Um—you know I'm your favorite brother, right?" Emmett shot me a pleading look.

I rolled my eyes. "You know I don't even have a favorite brother, right?" I quipped back.

Jasper snorted. "Wrong tactic, Emmett." He turned to me. "We need your help, o wonderful brother of ours."

I eyed them warily. Whatever the help they needed from me was, it wasn't going to be pleasant, judging by the way they were trying to butter me up.

Just then, a chipper voice floated up the stairs, causing Emmett and Jasper to flinch.

"Yoo-hoo…" Alice called up to them, climbing the stairs gracefully, followed by Rosalie. "Hmm…maybe three guys are better than two…" she mused, turning to Rosalie for support. Rosalie smirked and nodded.

I flinched with the others.

"Okay, come on! We have a few suitcases to load." Alice beckoned to Jasper as Rosalie did with Emmett. They followed reluctantly, grumbling.

"Few suitcases, my ass, try a few dozen."

"Like you're even going to help at all, we'll be the ones to lift them, anyway."

Rosalie shot Jasper and Emmett looks of pure venom and they hurried up in front of the girls. "You wouldn't want us breaking our nails, do you?" she inquired sweetly, her tone a striking contrast against the expression in her eyes.

"Of course not, baby, that's why we're here to _help_." Emmett told her in a placating tone.

I chuckled, following them downstairs to the garage. "Whipped." I murmured, hoping they would hear me.

They all glared at me. Great, they did.

Thirty minutes, dozens of suitcases and cramped muscles later, we were all loaded into our cars and on our way to the airport. Alice, Jasper and I were riding with our parents while Emmett took Rosalie and the luggage in his enormous Jeep.

Alice turned to me. "So…"

"So what?" I very smartly retorted.

"Aren't you excited at all?"

"What am I supposed to be excited about?"

She sighed. "You're going back to the place you lived in while you were away from us. Doesn't that make you…happy or something? There must be some good memories in Forks."

I thought about that for a second. "It wasn't all that pleasant." Except for Bella. The probability of seeing her again made me smile involuntarily.

Jasper looked at me. "Then…why are you smiling?"

Alice examined me for a second as I scrambled to arrange my face in what I hoped was a blank expression. It mustn't have been as blank as I wanted it to be because she then said, "You're all goofy like…Emmett is with Rosalie."

I turned away to hide my face, on the pretense of adjusting the small suitcase Alice managed to wedge in beside me. In the process, I caught sight of my parents in the rearview mirror, smiling at me expectantly. I sighed, knowing how it must look to them with Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice together—I was the odd man out. My siblings had taken it their personal mission to find a girlfriend for me, to no avail. No girl has ever interested me—except Bella, but she was supposed to be just a friend. My best friend, but still…

Just the thought of her made my smile wider.

"I am not." I stated, trying to wipe the grin from my face.

Alice squealed, bouncing in her seat. It must've been one of those strange intuitive flashes she had. Damn, I had to dig myself out of this one. "You _so_ are! It's a girl, isn't it? There's a girl from Forks you like." Then understanding dawned in her face. "Oh. _Oh!_ So that's why you're not interested in any girls from here. Who is it? I wanna meet her when we get there. Oh my God—" she was going on a mile a minute while Jasper, Esme, and even Carlisle, who was driving, were grinning at me like Halloween masks. Jasper looked smug, as if he knew something we didn't.

I groaned. "No, Alice. There is no one."

Jasper smirked at me. "So who's Bella?"

Alice screamed in a high-pitched voice that had all of us covering our ears. Pity for Carlisle, who had his hands full with the steering wheel. "So her name's Bella, huh? Why didn't you tell me? Oh, I just _have_ to meet her—"

I did a double take. "How—who's—did—" I stuttered, knowing I never told them about Bella. Or had I?

Jasper just grinned. "I have my sources."

I just stared at him. Finally, he held up his hands, chuckling. "Fine. Remember our last party, at Alistair's house? The one Emmett made us go to? You mentioned her then."

My brow furrowed as I tried to recall ever talking about Bella that night. No moment came to mind. "When, exactly, did I say that name?" I asked, trying to phrase the question without exposing my familiarity of the name.

Jasper scoffed. "I guess you were too wasted by then, bro. We were playing truth or dare and you chose truth so I asked you if you ever fell in love and who with." He laughed suddenly. "That Lizzie girl was looking a bit too smug and hopeful, if I may say so myself."

I narrowed my eyes. "Get to the point, Jazz."

He held up his hands, still laughing. "Okay, sure. So you looked distant and wistful and all, then you said her name. Isabella Swan."

I fought back a look of ecstasy from hearing her name, but I think it showed through, anyway, because they all shot knowing looks at one another. So maybe I wouldn't be able to dig myself out.

"Aw, Edward has a girlfriend." Alice sang, evidently haughty for finding out about Bella.

"It's a pity you had to move away from her." Esme sighed, looking wistful herself. I guess all those pains from finding a girlfriend for her direly single son were forgotten.

Jasper was just smirking, all high and mighty. I guess I had him to thank for this extremely embarrassing conversation. Wait until Emmett found out about Bella. I groaned, knowing it would be years until he let me forget it. I could almost hear my bear of a brother in my mind taunting me in a singsong voice.

"Edward has a girlfriend, Edward has a girlfriend."

No, that was Alice, bounding up and down the car seat. I swear the car was shaking by now. For a person with such a small stature, she had an untamable amount of energy.

"Bella in _not_ my girlfriend." I grumbled, turning away form them. Oh, damn, shouldn't have said that.

"Aha! So you admit you know Bella! Hmm…do you like her, though?" Alice leaned in front of me, forcing me to face her.

"She's my best friend." I muttered, trying to shrug it off. I had given up hope of denial. Now I was clutching on to the hope that she would leave me alone. It was futile, though.

Alice squealed again. "Do you want her to be your girlfriend? You know the drill: best friends, that annoying denial stage, finally getting together and living happily ever after! And she could be Rose's and my best friend! We'll take her shopping!" She was actually bouncing in her seat and clapping her hands like a child about to open her Christmas presents.

Jasper laughed affectionately, pulling Alice back beside him. Carlisle and Esme were exchanging deliberate looks at the front of the car. I shook my head and turned away from my insane family for awhile so I could hear myself think.

Bella and I have been great friends ad knew almost everything about each other for years. Did she still regard me as a friend after I deserted her? Had my moving away changed everything between us? Do I still have a chance of being her friend, maybe even more?

Most important, do I have feelings for her?

* * *

**BPOV**

"Bella! Hey, Bella, wait up!"

I turned around quickly to look for the person calling me, almost losing my balance. I internally snorted at that one. Balance, right. Like I even had that. I was hopelessly klutzy and always tripping on stable, flat surfaces where I don't even have the excuse of things lying around to slip on.

"Bella, have you heard the news?" It was Tanya Denali, my sort-of best girl friend. I mean, she was the very few who actually were friendly enough to talk with me and she was constantly urging me to accompany her to shopping trips or parties. She was beautiful, tall with strawberry-blonde hair, which was a constant blow to my self-confidence.

I shrugged myself out of my reverie and focused on the matter at hand. "What news?" I asked, speculating about whether it was some party or sale at the mall, about which, of course, I wouldn't have heard.

Tanya seemed too excited to talk. She had this huge smile on her face and she was actually bouncing up and down. In four-inch heels, no less. If I was in her shoes, I would be in the ER already.

"Ohmigosh, you seriously didn't know? I wish you already did, so we could scream together, 'cause I'm having trouble even breathing and, I swear, when I heard the news, my heart stopped beating altoge—"

I was getting a bit impatient. Tanya tended to go on and on whenever drama-queen kicked in and English was about to start in a few minutes. "What is it, Tanya?"

"Edward Cullen is coming back to Forks!" Tanya blurted out. "And he's with his super-rich family, too. Did you remember the time when…"

I didn't hear the rest. I was stuck back on the 'Edward coming back to Forks' part. Did I mishear Tanya, somehow? Maybe I was thinking about Edward too much lately and it was affecting my hearing. Maybe she was actually excited about a 50% off sale at her favorite store in the mall and—

"Hey, Bella! You there?" She waved her hand back and forth in front of my face and I snapped out of my thoughts.

"Yeah." I assured her. For some reason, there was something nagging me in this situation and I didn't have any idea what it was. "I have class in exactly three minutes and if I'm late again, Mr. Collins is going to shoot through the roof."

Tanya sighed. "So…? Aren't you excited? Your best friend's coming back! You two used to be joined at the hip. Yeah, and he was always defending you from Mike and all, it was so sweet."

"Um—yeah, of course!" I replied, faking enthusiasm. I wasn't a very convincing actress—and that was an understatement—and I didn't even know why I was acting. I should be excited to see Edward again. I wasn't. Well, I was, but there was still something bothering me.

It hit me like a ton of bricks going full speed at me. Mike. Mike, my abusive boyfriend. Mike, who used to pick on me all the time. Edward knew that I have always hated him. He would never understand why I agreed to be Mike's girlfriend.

The thing is, I don't really know the reason myself. I think I lost hope when he left me all alone to fight for myself. Just when I had a taste of friendship, it was all taken away from me, leaving me wanting more.

Luckily, Tanya didn't see through my Oscar-worthy performance. "So, I'll see you at lunch. We'll talk about your best friend, then." She winked at me and disappeared through the crowd.

Just then, the bell rang. "Shoot, I'm going to be late." I muttered, walking as fast as I could without actually running.

All the while, I wasn't concentrating on not falling, my thoughts on Edward Cullen.

So, naturally, I tripped.

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, Tanya. Tanya Denali. **:cue WTF?!:**

What do you think? Will you regard how the story's going as a hit or miss? Please let me know! While you're at that, maybe you could tell me how you expect the story to go or even just some…random stuff. You know, Taylor Swift's new album or the Twilight movie or how you think bunny rabbits are redundant or something.

xoxoxo,

J.


	3. Personal Issues

**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait, but, as I am sure my friends know, school days have been hectic, even if it's only the first few days back **:frog dissection…ew:** and I've been on a road trip during the holidays, so…

Thanks to **jeweledwings** and **xxxmaiko-chanxxx**, and **April Bloom** for the reviews. For all those who put me on their alerts and favorites and everything else, thanks are offered to you, too.

Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** Nada. Zilch. Zero. None.

* * *

**EPOV**

When I woke up, my bed was shaking. The first thing that came to mind was—

"Holy shit, there's an earthquake!" I yelled, rolling off the bed and falling down with a thud when my sheets wrapped themselves around my leg. Then I heard giggling coming from the top of my bed. _Very_ familiar giggling. I sat up from the floor and glared at Alice, who was jumping up and down on my bed, causing it to creak ominously.

"Earthquake!" She mocked me, laughing so hard she lost her balance and lay sprawled on the mattress.

"What are you doing here?" I growled, throwing the covers aside and making to get off the hardwood floor. That was when I caught a glimpse of my clock. "You woke me up at _six_ in the morning?!"

Alice looked up at me innocently. "Good morning to you, too, Edward. You like my wake-up call?"

I threw my other pillow at her. She laughed when I missed. "Why don't you go bug someone else? Emmett, for instance. I'm going back to sleep for another hour."

Alice pouted. Then she got off the bed and planted her hands on her hips, narrowing her gray eyes at me. Her stance looked so reminiscent of Bella that I suddenly felt a lump growing in my throat. "We're leaving early to check out our new school. Plus, I don't want to miss seeing my new best friend." She had been ecstatic when she spotted Isabella Marie Swan's name entered in the student list.

My lips twitched a bit, knowing exactly how to get her off my back. "Hey, Alice," I said lightly.

She glanced at me suspiciously. "What?"

"Did you leave Emmett in bed after you woke him up? You know he has a tendency to fall back asleep." I reminded her, hiding a grin.

Alice spun around, wrenching the door open. "The little…I mean huge…ugh, Emmett! Get your lazy ass out of bed right now!..."

I chuckled to myself, but slowly got up to head to my bathroom. I knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, anyway, seeing as the possibility of seeing Bella again was foremost on my mind.

I was about to wrench open the bathroom door when I heard Alice behind me. "Oh, and Edward?" She asked in the sweetly persuasive tone I knew she used to try and get people to do what she wanted.

"Yeah?" I turned back with a resigned sigh.

"Give an extra effort to dress nicely. I'm sure Bella would appreciate it." She told me, smirking slightly.

I rolled my eyes and proceeded to lock myself in my bathroom to shut out the annoying giggling fit overcoming my little sister.

* * *

**STILL EPOV**

We arrived to school in record time, due to my frenzied driving and Alice's constant nagging. I pulled up into the parking lot, still unbelieving that I was back in Forks. The school atmosphere was different. The stares we got from kids were something to get used to. It was entirely different from our old school in Chicago, where we blended in easily with the other students.

I pulled up in a vacant space and was the first to get out of my Volvo. Emmett smirked, coming up from behind me and clapping me on the back. "Excited, huh?" he taunted.

I rolled my eyes, but didn't deign to reply. Alice bounded up beside me and grabbed my arm, dragging Jasper with her other hand.

"Come one, Edward, let's look for her!" She tugged on my arm insistently, almost causing me to stumble. Emmett and Rosalie followed up towards the main building.

I could feel others' eyes staring all around us and I wondered whether Bella was one of them. Whether she would recognize me after all these years. I had lagged behind from my group now, my eyes scanning every direction, anxious not to miss Bella. I wasn't even sure how she looked like now.

Just then, I felt someone bump against me from behind and I instinctively spun around. Fortunately, I caught her before she hit the floor. A distinctly sweet scent of freesias hit me, probably from the girl I was holding. I wondered why I the smell was so familiar.

We straightened up and I stared at her face curiously, now bright red from embarrassment. "I—I—thanks." She muttered, looking down at the floor. I realized I was still holding her and dropped my arms down to my sides.

"Hey, Eddie, who's your lady friend?" Emmett boomed from behind me, clamping a hand on my shoulder. That startled the girl and her head snapped up as my siblings gathered around me. My breath caught as my eyes locked with her depthless brown ones and I realized exactly who she was and why she seemed so familiar.

"Long time no see, Izzie."

Her eyes widened as they flitted back to me, up my face. I heard her breath hitch as she whispered. "You really had come back…"

I knew exactly how she felt that very moment. I still had a hard time believing she was in front of me, actually, her captivating face expressing incredulity. I could sympathize with her predicament. I mean, she had not seen me for five years. Now, I was here, in the flesh, with four strangers—to her—flanking me. We could be a bit intimidating sometimes, I have to admit.

I wasn't really sure what to do that moment. My instinct told me to hold out my arms and I tentatively did. I still wasn't sure if she was welcome with the prospect of seeing me again. Nevertheless, I took the shot.

Bella squealed and threw herself into my arms, almost causing me to lose my balance. I guess the shock had worn off of her now.

"I can't believe it. You're back." She told me breathlessly, pulling back slightly to look at me properly.

"So I am." I couldn't stop the huge grin from growing on my face, mirroring hers. "I've missed you."

Bella's smile grew wider and I saw tears sparkling in her eyes. "I've missed you, too. I didn't believe it at first when Tanya told me, but here you are."

I couldn't think of anything to say so I just pulled her close again and she willingly leant into me. I was _back_. I was with my best friend again.

"Ahem." A loud throat-clearing courtesy of Alice interrupted our embrace and I jumped. I realized I had forgotten about them and how awkward this was for them, just standing around while we were lost in our world. We—I liked the sound of that, probably more than I should. We—Bella and I.

"Oh, sorry, these are my brothers and sisters." I reluctantly pulled back from Bella and she turned around to face the company, blushing a bit. I felt an irrational sense of loss once her arms dropped from around me towards her sides.

"Hi." She spoke softly, her demeanor considerably different from her previous one.

Alice stepped forward boldly. "Hey, Bella! Edward's told us about you and it's so fabulous finally meeting you, I just _know_ we'll be great friends." She reached out to hug Bella, who looked shocked for a second before awkwardly hugging Alice back.

Emmett came next, lifting Bella up in the air and twirling her around. She was slightly out of breath when she was set back on her own two feet, but her laugh—an uncanny resemblance to tinkling bells—permeated the narrow hallway, mingling with ours.

"Hey, little sister, I'm Emmett." He told her, looking euphoric—at having someone new to torture, I guess. I had to talk with him about that sometime. Again, a look of surprise crossed her face before she smiled warmly.

"Nice to meet you, too."

Jasper's and Rosalie's introductions were considerably less dramatic, but those were Jasper and Rosalie to you. His attitude was a stark contrast to Alice's, brooding and calm, which was probably why they made such a great pair. Rosalie took awhile to warm up to anyone, as I had experienced firsthand when I came to our home in Chicago. Even after a few years with each other, we rarely had much interaction, so I could understand how she treated Bella.

"So," Alice burst out, clapping her hands excitedly. "Why don't you give us a tour, Bella? Since we're new to the school and all…"

Bella smiled slightly. I was relieved to see she had taken to my siblings quite well. "Sure. I think you'll have to stop by the main office first, you need to get your papers and stuff in order." She beckoned us to follow her and we did, chatting about random things with one another. My siblings wanted to know more about my life here before I was reunited with them and Bella was only too happy to dish out embarrassing details.

"…and he talks in his sleep! Of course, you would know that, seeing as you live with him and all—" Bella was going full steam, despite of, or maybe because of, the lethal looks I was shooting at her.

"No, we didn't know that!" Alice cut her off, her trademark wicked grin reappearing once more.

"Thanks for the vital info, Bella." Rosalie added, shooting me a sly grin of her own. I remembered that one April Fools' Day when I got green food coloring in her hair…she's still looking for the perfect opportunity for payback, apparently.

I groaned. "All right, I guess this is the office, then?" I pointed to a door just ways ahead and walked a little faster. "Come on, we don't want to be late."

Jasper shot a knowing smirk at me. "Trying to divert attention, are we? Oh, well, there's still lunch, right?" he asked Bella, who suddenly looked panic-stricken. She met my questioning glance with a slight shake of her head.

"Yeah—uh, actually—I need to go, see you around." With that, she took off down the hall, not even giving me a chance to get a word in.

We were left glancing at each other in bafflement.

* * *

**BPOV**

Shit! Shit, shit, shit…

I completely forgot—Mike! How will he react when I told him I wanted to eat lunch with Edward and his brothers and sisters today? Did he even know they were coming back? Maybe someone from his gang told him, I certainly wasn't going to share that tidbit with him.

God, I am such a fool. I got caught up in the moment when I saw Edward again. Not that I could easily dismiss him as just another new student—he is my best friend after all!

I sighed, recalling my reaction when I realized just who saved me from a collision course with the floor. I looked into his ever-familiar green eyes and everything instantly clicked. The bronze hair only served as extra confirmation.

And better than ever. He was so different from the Edward I knew back then—all gangly and awkward, but still carrying a certain charm. Now—I couldn't control my heartbeat as I thought about his appearance—he was, as Tanya would say, hott. Double T earned. With his charms still intact.

He was still the same, only improved. His honey-and-velvet voice, impishly crooked grin, affectionate demeanor towards me—all 100% Edward. I was still recovering from the shock of seeing him again.

And his siblings! They were all exceedingly beautiful and friendly that you couldn't help but warm up to them. Alice, with her overall pixie-ish aura down pat, shocked me when she said she wanted to be friends. Emmett, a bear of a big brother…I was touched when he called me little sister, I had always wanted siblings. Jasper, who seemed to radiate serenity, was less open, but affable nonetheless. Rosalie, whose looks put even Tanya's beauty to shame, was—well, Rosalie seemed a bit distant, but I guessed it was her standard behavior with people.

I trudged towards my homeroom, knowing Mike didn't come there that early and I would be free of him at least until lunch—right, lunch.

What was I going to do?

I knew I needed to tell Edward about my 'relationship' with Mike, but I'll have to explain. Truth be told, I didn't know what my explanation would be.

'_Hey, Edward, you remember Mike Newton? Your arch-nemesis? Yeah, I'm his girlfriend. You heard right, Eddie, your best friend's been with your enemy ever since you left_.'

I also had to deal with Mike knowing about Edward's return. Wow, that sounded like a television drama. Edward's Return. Anyway.

I had to tread carefully around that touchy subject, or he'll just blow up. I knew how he was with me being friendly to other boys. It was evidently okay for _him_ to be friendly—sometimes even more than friendly—to other girls but when it came to me being friendly to other boys? Yeah, he considered that cheating on him. The Tyler incident proved that clear enough.

Truthfully, I was drinking slightly more than I should so I could forget that I was with him in some stupid party in someone's stupid house, mingling with his stupid friends. And then Tyler struck up a conversation with me, causing Mike to land him in the emergency room.

Mrs. Newton was _not_ pleased.

When I tried to confront him about it, he hit me on the cheek and ranted on about fidelity and trust in our relationship.

Bullshit.

That was the first time he ever laid a hand on me, and that first time led to another…and another…and another…especially when he was drunk from partying with his moronic 'friends'.

I groaned in frustration and banged my head against my desk repeatedly.

"Hey, Bella?"

I winced and lifted my head sheepishly, to meet Alice's bewildered appearance.

"Um, hey, Alice."

She swept in a plopped herself down on the chair next to me. "What's up? You have suicidal tendencies or what?"

"Oh, God, no." I replied, grimacing. That wasn't entirely true, though I'd rather not go into minute details right now. "I was…I just remembered about this assignment—"

Alice scoffed, rolling her eyes. "On the first day of school?"

Oops. I'd never been the best liar of all time, though, so I was bound to slip up. It was as inevitable as…as Edward finding out about me and Mike. Cue internal flinching—I needed to stay away from those thoughts. "Um…yeah." I fibbed on, not quite meeting her eyes. Was she a mind-reader or something? It would suck major bad if she was. I made a mental note to ask Edward.

"Come on, Bella, you know you could tell me anything." Alice pleaded, pulling on a puppy-dog pout. Apparently, she could see through my top-quality acting skills.

I winced again. "No, not this one. Certainly not this one."

"You're no fun." Alice grumbled, crossing her arms sulkily.

I sighed and her expression brightened considerably, obviously thinking I would spill all. "Sorry about my abrupt exit back there. I just…remembered some issues I still need to resolve."

Alice was still staring expectantly at me. "And?" she prompted.

"And…?" what else was I supposed to say?

"What are those issues?" Alice clarified with a huff of impatience.

"Um…personal ones?" I hedged, causing her to scowl.

"How Edward puts up with your furtiveness I do not know." She complained, causing me to laugh slightly.

I shrugged. "How do you find Forks so far?" I asked, changing the subject.

Alice shot me a pointed glance to let me know she knew what I was doing. I brushed it off. "Wet, cold, dreary and, ironically, more interesting than back in Chicago."

"Why's that?" I kept up with my questioning, hoping to get her mind off my personal issues.

"I can see drama coming up." She answered cryptically, her silvery eyes gleaming. "Juicy drama worth sinking my teeth into. Perfect."

I did not want to ask what exactly she was talking about. I had a feeling I knew, anyway.

* * *

**A/N:** Voilà. Chapter the 3rd of my story. I don't have time to edit it much 'cause I want to put it up _now_ even if it's 11:11pm and I have school tomorrow. Please bear with the mistakes; I'll fix them tomorrow after classes, I swear.

Oh and tell me whether you like how I'm heading with this story or not. If not, please give me some of your ideas on how to make my writing better, since I'm here to improve my writing skills. I've got an outline and I know where I'm going with this plot, but I certainly want to accommodate your suggestions.

In short, please review.

Your writer who is now signing off to study (yes, I prioritize writing over studies, I'm insane),

J.


	4. Numb

**A/N: ::ducks rotten vegetables and flying frying pans::** So, uh, what's up, guys? I'm sorry it took me this long to get this chapter out. It's my perfectionist side. That, and my other stories, new story ideas, other extracurricular activities, and school (notice how it comes at the bottom of the list). That is all. Thank you.

**Disclaimer:** Where have I been for the past few months? Under a rock, hoping Stephenie Meyer would take pity on me and give me the rights to Twilight. Or something. As you can see from the word at the beginning of this paragraph, I wasn't too successful.

* * *

**Previously on No Easy Way**

"_I can see drama coming up." She answered cryptically, her silvery eyes gleaming. "Juicy drama worth sinking my teeth into. Perfect."_

_I did not want to ask what exactly she was talking about. I had a feeling I knew, anyway._

* * *

**BPOV**

The first class, English, passed in a blur. I had Jasper in that class, and he kept shooting glances my way, but I tried my best to ignore him. Mostly, I just doodled in my notebook and dreaded when lunch came.

It looked like I didn't have to wait until that time. Government was spent with both Edward and Alice. It wasn't too bad, if you wanted a re-enaction of first period. Well, Edward kept looking at me. Alice, at least, only shot me a single pointed look as she danced in the room, her spiky black hair bouncing with every step.

Third period. Trigonometry. Oh, Lord, less than two hours…

The last class before lunch was Spanish. I got called on twice, and didn't know the answer as many times. Good job, Bella.

I tried to keep my calm as I walked down the halls to the cafeteria. Breathe in. Breathe out. Keep an eye out for the Cullens. Keep an eye out for Mike, or any of his so-called friends. This was hard going.

I was only a couple of meters away from the cafeteria doors when a hand shot out from behind me and dragged me through a side door leading to the courtyard outside the school.

"Where have you been?" Mike hissed through gritted teeth. I flinched.

"Uh…my classes. We don't have any classes in common except Gym, so I don't think we'd have seen each other." I explained, hoping to placate him. It was times like this that I wondered why I'm even in a 'relationship' with him. He would get unexpectedly and unreasonably angry at trivial details.

"Shut up. I told you to meet me at my locker early thing morning, so what happened?" Mike snapped, his eyes squinting dangerously.

I winced again. Truth be told, the Cullens' arrival this morning had sent that promise – no, _demand_ – flying right out of my head. "I-I had to meet a teacher for something…" My blatant lie trailed off pathetically.

He laughed humorlessly. "God, Bella, how stupid do you think I am?"

'_You do _not_ want to know the answer_.' I thought snidely, but I bit my tongue to keep my snippy retort from pouring out. It would only aggravate Mike further. Aggravating Mike was not a good idea.

"Bella! Answer me!" Mike commanded in a carrying voice. Cue more internal flinching from me.

"Um…what?" I asked in a small, pathetic voice. I knew the drill very well. Keep your head lowered, don't make any eye contact, and think carefully before you say anything.

He sighed exasperatedly. "Where were you this morning?" he asked slowly, pronouncing each word, as though he were speaking to an overemotional toddler.

"I…I was meeting with a teacher about…extra coursework for this term." I spoke cautiously, weighing each word for potential triggers for Mike's ire.

It was obvious he didn't buy it. "And, by any chance, is that _teacher_—" he spoke the word with apparent distaste "—Edward Cullen?"

I stood in shock for a few seconds. Mike took that as answer enough and sneered at me. "Considering cheating on me, Bells, are you? I never took you as that stupid, but I guess I made a mistake."

"N-n-no, I'm not cheating on you. God, of course I'm not going to cheat on you." I tried to defend myself, but my words fell on deaf ears.

"So you're thinking that you could outsmart me, Bella?" Mike all but roared, rounding on me as he did so. "You think I would never know? Secret meetings here and there, probably unaware that I would have someone spying on you as you leave the house…" his voice trailed off, his chest heaving as he blew off more steam.

"No, Mike, I would _never_." I tried to placate him. "Never." I repeated, taking the chance and looking him in the eye. I hoped he was in a better mood now, so I could talk some sense into him. It always seemed futile, but it was better than him verbally abusing me. Or sneaking in the occasional slap.

His face smoothened out fractionally. "Never." He repeated, as though testing out the word, to detect a lie. I breathed out a sigh of relief when his shoulders went down fractionally and his breathing slowed.

"Alright, Bells, let's get to lunch." He finally said, slinging an arm around my shoulders and pulling me to him a bit too harshly. He pulled me through the doors we had just exited a while ago and to the cafeteria.

I kept my head lowered as we entered the room. I didn't want to chance making eye contact with any of the Cullens or Hales. Mike dragged me over to our usual table where everyone was seated. I had an urge to scan the room to catch even a glimpse of Edward, but I suppressed it. Mike was watching me like a hawk, as though expecting me to do anything suspicious.

I realized that everyone on our table – heck, everyone in the cafeteria – had gone silent. I followed their stares to the doors where – oh, Lord – Edward and his siblings had just walked in.

I sneaked a peek at Mike and saw that he was still scrutinizing me, checking for my reaction. I kept on a blank expression, hiding my inner turmoil. But it was hard when Mike threw his arm around my shoulders and latched it there tightly despite—or maybe because of—my obvious discomfort.

Lunchtime dragged by, with me half-listening to the mindless chatter of Mike, Tyler, Jessica Stanley, Lauren Mallory and the rest of the occupants of the table, and spending the rest of my energy resisting the urge to lift turn around and glance at Edward.

Lunch ended and I walked into my next class. Biology. I headed for my usual table, where I was seated all alone. Apparently, Mr. Banner thought I could manage without a lab partner this year—must've been all those times when he would notice that I would be the one actually doing the assigned activity and my partner would leave me alone to do the work.

Then something made me pause. Someone was sitting on the other chair at my table. And that someone was Edward, of all people.

I inwardly cursed my nonexistent luck.

Dropping my bag on the floor next to my chair, I sat down, trying to put the most distance between us possible.

He didn't look my way.

I didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

Thankfully, all the teacher had planned for the day was a lot of monotonous droning about a lesson I didn't care about. That meant I didn't have to interact with my new lab partner—yet.

The bell rang. I breathed a silent sigh of relief and exited the room as quickly as I could, grabbing my bag along. I didn't look back at Edward. I didn't think that I could hold myself together anymore if I did. The niggling thought in my subconscious, though, told me that it wouldn't be long until I had to clear things with him.

'_Could I still really clear things with him?_' I wondered as I made my way through the crowd of students to the girls' locker room. Gym was my least favorite time of the day, mainly because I got stuck with Mike and partly because sports and I didn't exactly mix, to put it mildly.

Today was worse than usual. The only good thing was that the girls were separated from the boys so I didn't have to deal with Mike for the whole class. I briefly wondered if everyone was punishing me for everything I ever did wrong. The thought didn't last long, though, because the volleyball hit me straight on my head and knocked me down. That little ball didn't seem so little anymore.

I vented my frustration on the game, even though I could barely hit the volleyball when it came my way. Three times I thumped my partner on her head. The third time I did that, she glared at me and started blocking me whenever the ball would cross to my side. I shrugged. I was fine with that; she was a better player alone than with me anyway.

Finally, the class ended and I was first out of the gym, eager to leave the bad day behind. I quickened my pace when I pushed through the doors of the school building. I knew Mike and his friends were out on the town, having fun and probably breaking another dozen laws in the process. I was left on my own again. It was times like this that I wondered how on earth I ended up in this situation, and what on earth have I done with my life.

Even when I was a child, my life had been poised to crumble to pieces already. I thought I had the perfect arrangement, with a family who clearly loved me. Then everything was taken away from me. It didn't really hit me as hard as it could've been, though, because I met Edward. My lips twisted into a wry smile. In my eyes, he was my lifesaver, my best friend, my only ally. When _he_ was wrenched from my grasp, it was back to my hellish existence again. This time, the pain of both losses left me numb. I went on as usual, but I didn't have any idea to what direction I was heading. My so-called foster family was the one constant in my life, and while it wasn't enough, it was all I had. And now, my lifesaver was back, disrupting the monotony I thought my life had established.

* * *

**EPOV**

She came inside the room and came to my table. I felt her stare at me, but I didn't look back. I didn't think I could hold my temper if I looked her fully in the eyes.

I sat beside her all throughout Biology. I didn't know why, I could've so easily gotten a slip and went home. But I was still too numb to consider anything.

I was still too numb to decide how I should feel after the numbness faded.

I could hardly fathom the possibility of Bella and that vile bastard together. What happened to all those years when he would taunt her, when I felt so anxious leaving her side because he might hurt her? I couldn't believe that I thought everything was alright earlier that morning. It wasn't, far from it, actually.

What had pushed her to do that? I knew my leaving would affect her, but for her to throw her life away for some worthless jerk…

I clenched my fists under the desk. My thoughts were going haywire; I was struggling to keep some appearance of calmness. Numbness was quickly fading away, leaving me wanting to bash my head against the desk or something. One provocation and I would snap.

I suffered through the rest of the period, contemplating whether I should just talk to Bella—just thinking of her name now sent pangs straight to my heart—or think the situation over first. While the latter seemed reasonable, I knew that overthinking was one of my shortcomings, and it might do more damage than good. But when I just dove into things like this headfirst, I tended to make all the wrong decisions and let my temper get the best of me, which was exactly why I didn't want to look back at her earlier.

_Rrrrrrrrrrriiiiiing!_ The bell. I made a halfhearted attempt to go after Bella, still unable to decide upon what action to take.

She made the decision for me, when she rushed out of the room so fast you would have thought it was on fire. Part of me was disheartened, while the other part was relieved that I didn't have to have this impending conversation yet. I didn't know if postponing it was best, but at that time, I didn't know right from wrong anymore.

After Spanish, I headed for my silver Volvo out in the parking lot. I had to wait for the others to come out, and I dreaded another few minutes of soul-searching. It seemed to be the only thing I could do nowadays.

Before I could reach the car, though, a hand grabbed my arm, startling me. I spun around, half-expecting Bella…or Mike…but saw a strawberry-blonde-haired girl beside me instead.

"Hello, Edward. Long time no see." She smiled.

"Hi…uh…" I trailed off, having no recollection of meeting this girl before.

Her grin widened when she realized my predicament. "Tanya. Tanya Denali. You might not remember me…"

The name rang a bell in my head. "Oh. Yeah, I think I remember you. Sorry, it's been too long." I managed to force a smile for her sake.

Her expression turned businesslike fast. "Good. Edward…I need to talk to you about Bella."

That caught my interest. "Yes?" I replied quickly. Maybe she knew something about this situation. Hell, who am I kidding, this was Forks. Everyone knew everything about everyone else.

"Can we go somewhere…with less people?" she asked, glancing around at the students who were streaming out of the school.

"I think I can arrange that." '_Anything for Bella's sake_.' I thought. I cared about her too much to let her go without a fight.

Tanya nodded. "Good." She told me again.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry, this might seem rushed (it is) but I'm under tight schedule. So, was it a hit or miss? Tell me in a review, or whatever. I really appreciate knowing what you think.

By the way, I have a LiveJournal, where I might give updates about this story. The link is on my profile, listed as my homepage. Feel free to add me.


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